The 9/11 legacy of a Little League girl

"I want America to be as good as she imagined it."

-- President Barack Obama on Christina-Taylor Green, Jan. 12, 2011

Trinity Gonzales of Twentynine Palms, Calif., is the catcher for the Sparks. Courtesy of Gonzales Family

Amid the rolling green hills of Cooperstown, N.Y., 22 diamonds are glittering with children at play. The tunnels of fog from Tuesday night have burned off, opening to a sun-sparkled Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 17, a perfect day for baseball.

One-hundred-four teams from all over the country are here for Week 11 of the Cooperstown Dreams Park tournament. They are teams with names like the Maine Black Flies and the So Cal Dirtbagz. The kids are 11 and 12 years old.

It is a tournament dripping with Americana. The Stars and Stripes -- and 50 state flags -- flapping in the summer breeze. A huge fireworks display. Every outfield fence draped in bunting. Baseball 'round the clock. Here at Dreams Park, it is Opening Day, Game 7, and the Fourth of July all at once.

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